What We Do

The vision of the Department of Sociology at Rice University is to advance knowledge of social processes and patterns, mentor a diverse set of scholars and students, and teach the state of the art in the field, engaging in service to the university, the discipline, and the larger community.

Postdoctoral Program

Beginning in 2002, the Department of Sociology at Rice University established a postdoctoral program with the intent of providing two years of research support for promising new and early career sociology scholars. Postdoctoral fellows also benefit from Riceâ€™s state-of-the-art facilities and internationally renowned centers and institutes.

Our Academic Programs

The Rice Sociology undergraduate program allows considerable latitude in pursuing personal interests while ensuring familiarity with core sociological theories and research methods.The Rice Sociology doctoral program prepares students to be sociologists of the highest quality, able to conduct cutting edge research and to teach with excellence.

What We Do

The vision of the Department of Sociology at Rice University is to advance knowledge of social processes and patterns, mentor a diverse set of scholars and students, and teach the state of the art in the field, engaging in service to the university, the discipline, and the larger community.

Postdoctoral Program

Beginning in 2002, the Department of Sociology at Rice University established a postdoctoral program with the intent of providing two years of research support for promising new and early career sociology scholars. Postdoctoral fellows also benefit from Riceâ€™s state-of-the-art facilities and internationally renowned centers and institutes.

Our Academic Programs

The Rice Sociology undergraduate program allows considerable latitude in pursuing personal interests while ensuring familiarity with core sociological theories and research methods.The Rice Sociology doctoral program prepares students to be sociologists of the highest quality, able to conduct cutting edge research and to teach with excellence.

Bob Thomson is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Religion and Public Life Program (RPLP), where he is engaged in projects studying religion among academic scientists and faith in the workplace. His dissertation, Religion and Differential Justice, explores the complex associations between race, religion, and outcomes related to the criminal justice system. His primary areas of interest include criminology, social stratification, quantitative methods, and religion in the public sphere. His research has been published in journals such as Deviant Behavior, Journal of Drug Issues, and the Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion.

Bob completed a Ph.D. in Sociology at Baylor University in 2017. He also has graduate degrees in both engineering (MS, University of Cincinnati, 2002) and theological studies (MA, Asbury Theological Seminary, 2012).